KC7RAD's WeatherWallpaper Program

KC7RAD's WeatherWallpaper Program
Final BETA! 0.1.2.5 Download NOW!
**Attention 5/6/07** Please use MS Internet Explorer to install WeatherWallpaper. There are problems using FireFox and Opera to download and install. Hopefully a solution will be made available soon, but for now, please use IE. (tnx AE4XJ)

What is WeatherWallpaper?
WeatherWallpaper is a simple little program that downloads satellite and radar imagery from the national Weather Service, and makes that image your Windows wallpaper. It can download imagery on request, periodicaly from every 5 minutes to every 24 hours, or even at a certain time of day.

Using this simple interface, you can request radar or satellite imagery. By changing the resources.txt file, you can specify and customize this to include just about any type of imagery.

The included resouces.txt file includes radar, satellite and aviation maps. Users may edit the resources.txt file to add or remove options. New types and subtypes may also be added. See the resources.txt section below for details on how to add new types, subtypes and options.

Configuration is VERY simple. Just select the Tools->Options to pop up the Options window

In this version, e-mail address is completely optional. The program does absolutely nothing with it.

All of the radar and satellite resources are contained in the resource file. By using the File->Open Resources File, you can edit and even save your resources file somewhere else. If you do save your resources.txt file somewhere else (save-as) then you can click on the ... button on the Options window and select the file you just saved. If you saved the resources file elsewhere and want to use the original file, simply click the Default button.

You can control how the program displays the time in it's status bar, by selecting Local or UTC/GMT. Local will instruct the program to dislay you local time. UTC/GMT instructs the program to display GMT/UTC/Zulu time.

If the program is started & allowed to run, it may have problems accessing the internet. The 'Continue resource retrieval after internet error.' Check Box, if checked, instructs the program to just continue trying to retrieve what it should. If this is not checked, the program will stop after it first has trouble.

The 'Fill screen with image.' option instructs the program to strech the image onto your desktop. This may look good for certain imagery and may skew others quite a bit.

WeatherWallpaper also allows you the option to automatically save the imagery it downloads to a cache directory. Check the 'Use cache directory.' option if you want to save the images. When this is checked, the program maintains a index.html file in the cache directory that you can use to fairly easily navigate and view the files in the cache directory.

There may be a situation when you don't want to display the downloaded images. Maybe you are using the cache to populate an intranet site. If you only want to save the images and not display them, check the 'Do not display images.' option.

The 'cache directory' must be specified if the 'Use cache directory.' option is selected. This can be a location on your local hard drive, a flash drive or even a network mapping. You may manually enter the path or UNC, or click the associated ... button to browse and select the desired directory.

If a file is saved, there must be a way to delete it! Using 'Cache file life', you can specify the number of days a file is saved in the cache before the file is deleted.

resources.txt - Customizing what you can display.
By editing and saving your resources.txt file, you can add just about any type, subtype and location to Weather Wallpaper.

This might be best described through an example. Let's say you want to add an option for webcams. With WindowsWallpaper open, select the File->Open Resources File selection. That should open the currently selected resources.txt file in Notepad (or some other text editor).

Locate the line that says: // Speciy Types

Directly under that line, you should see lines like:
##YRRadar
##YSSatellite
##YOOther

The ##Y text indicates that these define the Types used in the program. The R, S and O are simply unique type identifiers. Since we are adding a new type, add an empty line after the last ##Y line. In this empty line, enter ##YWWebcams

Now, locate the line that says: // Specify Sub Types

Directly under that line, you should see lines like:
##URMMosaic
##URLLocal Radar (Base Reflectivity)
##URCLocal Radar (Composite)
##UOAAviation
##USNInfraRed
##US1Water Vapor
##US2Visual

The ##U text indicates that these define the Sub-Types used in the program. The R, S and O characters indicate what type each sub-type belongs to. The M, L, C, A, N, 1 and 2 are simply unique indentifiers. Since we are adding a new sub-type, add an empty line after the last ##U line. In this empty line, enter ##UWRRiver Webcams

OK, now we need to add an entry that will tell the program where to download the image from. Scroll down to the bottom of the resources.txt file. You will probably see some lines like this:
//Aviation
OAUS National AIRMETs http://adds.aviationweather.gov/data/airmets/airmets_ALL.gif
OAUS National METARs http://adds.aviationweather.gov/data/metars/sfc_ina.gif

Add a blank line after the last line and type:

WRLock and Dam 25, Winfield, MO https://webcam.crrel.usace.army.mil/lock_dam_25/lock_dam_25_CAM1.jpg

The WR matches the ##UWRRiver Webcams line entered above.

Note all the spaces between MO and the https. The web address always starts at column 39. You can count out the spaces or just line up the http with the others in the file. Here is another example:

WRKaweah River, CA http://71.111.71.200/kaweahcam/kaweahcam.jpg

Save the resources.txt file and exit your editing program. Now, with WindowWallpaper, select the menu items Tools->Refresh Resources. That will load your new items into the program and you can now select and use them.

WeatherWallpaper also keeps a log of its activities. You can view this log by selecting Tools->View Log. The example to the left shows two failed attempts at receiving radar imagery. The log is reset when the program is restarted.

Additional Functionality-

Tools->Download Specified - Download the requested resource and make it your Windows wallpaper.
Start and Stop buttons - These start and stop the auto-processing.

License-
This program may be used, copied and distributed free of charge, so long as nothing is changed (except the resources.txt file) and the program, its author and copyright are not misrepresented.

If you like this program, and would like to support its development and the development of other simple weather programs, please donate to my PayPal account. (Coming Soon!)

Current Version-
The current version is Beta 0.1.2.5 No additional functionality will be added to this before the program's first release. If you find any bugs or would like to make any suggestions, please e-mail me or join the e-mail list for support (see below).

Version 0.1.2.5-
This version will be the last one before the final release with new features. Only bug fixes will take place between this beta and the final release. These are the new features:

Non-proportional resize for wallpaper. This is an option that will let WeatherWallpaper completely fill your screen. Depending on your screen geometry and the imagery downloaded, the image may be skewed quite a bit.
Cache directory for images. There is now an option to save downloaded imagery to a cache directory so other programs can access them.
Cache index file. When using the cache, the program will create an index.html file to make navigating the cache a bit easier.
Cache only option. There is now an option to download imagery directly to the cache without displaying it on the screen.
Program icon is now much more attractive.
Program now minimizes to the system tray.
Scroll bar on the program log window works
Changed URLs in the resources.txt file to point to NOAA's load balanced group of servers, rather than a single server farm. (Thanks to Ron Jones of the NWS for that change.) Response is now faster and the imagery is more reliable.
Default resources.txt file contains two entries for aviation weather.

Want List for Next Version-

Ability to download updated resources.txt file without a complete rebuild and download of the project.
Fully downloadable installation (off-line installation). This will allow people to pass the program around.
Be able to subscribe and receive system-wide alerts.

The above items may change based on feedback.

Long Term Want List-

Be able to specify multiple items for download and display.
Support for text, HTML and XML resource processing & display.
RSS .XML file retrieval and processing.
Option for audio prompts and alerts.
Option for Auto-Start.
Allow for UNC addresses, as well as URLs.
Better log management.

Technology-
This program is written in C# 2005 Express using Microsoft's .NET technology.

Updates-
Each time the program starts running, it checks the internet for an update. If an update is found, the user will be asked if they would like to upgrade. Please note that your options may change back to default on automatic update. Also, please note that if you have change the resources.txt file and have not changed where it is saved, your changes will be lost.

Requirements-

Computer capable of running Microsoft's .NET platform.
Internet connection.

Installation-
Installation is accomplished by browsing to the installation page and clicking the install button. That install program will download everything you need to run WeatherWallpaper. Please note that if the Microsoft .NET platform is not already installed on your computer, the install will do it automatically. This may take some time, especilly if you are on dialup.

Support-
Support for this program is through a mail list. Browse here - http://mail.radstream.com/mailman/listinfo/weatherwallpaper_radstream.com to go to the mailing list web page to join, browse the archives or manage your subscription.

Known Bugs-

When running on a computer with dual monitors, the image will be tiled.
FireFox Install (thanks to AE4XJ for this). There may be an issue when installing WeatherWallpaper through FireFox or Opera. For now, please install (browse this site) with MS Internet Explorer. I will perform more testing to repair the FireFox/Opera problem.
Auto-upate may set your options back to default.

Copyrights-
This program and the website are copyright (C) 2007 by Ken Linder (KC7RAD). .NET and C# are copyright (C) by Microsoft. Windows is a TM of Microsoft.

Is THAT all it does???
After showng this program to a programmer friend of mine, he said, "Very nice, but, is that all it does?" Well, I like the KISS concept; Keep It Simple and Stupid. SO, that is how I like to write programs. It is small, simple and does a single task.

Spam???
NEVER EVER EVER will I send out spam. NEVER EVER EVER will I sell or give away the e-mail addresses or any specific information about the users of this program or members of any on the e-mail groups or forums.

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Last Updated: 5/6/07 - 1145AM

Views since May 6, 2007

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